The Rivet Island Arc
by XFangHeartX
Summary: A rewrite of Luffy and the Wolf. Read and review, and no flames or hate, please!
1. The Dog in the Storm

One Piece: The Rivet Island Arc

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One Piece © Oda

Blizzard © Me

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Summary- 3 weeks after rescuing Robin from the clutches of Enies Lobby, the Straw Hats are enjoying their new ship, the _Thousand Sunny_. However, things take an unexpected turn when the Straw Hats are forced to seek shelter from a raging storm and dock at an island, where they meet an extraordinary canine.

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This is a rewrite of my very first One Piece fic. Back then...I was just starting and I was pretty bad, but now that I've improved, I decided to do a remake of the story. Hope you guys enjoy it!

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 **Ch. 1- The Dog in the Storm**

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It was just a peaceful, sunny day in the Grand Line. The seagulls flew above the ocean's surface, soaring on the salty breeze, and dolphins chirped as they leaped out of the water. On the ocean's waves sailed a brig sloop ship with a grinning lion for a figurehead.

The _Thousand Sunny_ , a ship built to sail a thousand seas...and she is currently the home of the Straw Hat Pirates.

It had been about 3 weeks now, since the Straw Hats rescued Robin from the clutches of CP9 at Enies Lobby. Things were almost looking grim for them, and even though victory had been achieved, they had just barely gotten away from that horrid place by the skin of their teeth thanks to the heroic efforts of the _Going Merry_...who, sadly, could no longer keep sailing. Knowing how they couldn't possibly force their beloved ship to continue, the Straw Hats, plus Franky, Kokoro, Chimney, Gonbei, Iceberg and the Galley-La shipwrights sent _Merry_ off with a Viking Funeral. Before she disappeared beneath the ocean waves, _Merry_ called out to her crew and thanked them for all the love they gave her.

Despite this, Merry lived on in the form of the _Thousand Sunny_ , whom Franky had built with the help of Galley-La, and after some...convincing on Robin's part, plus the Franky Family, he had decided to join up with the Straw Hats as their shipwright. Just as they were about to leave, though, they had nearly left behind Usopp, who had left due to his arrogance and pride. Thankfully, he managed to realize he was wrong and screamed out his apology at the top of his lungs.

Now, with the crew reunited and even bigger than before, they were currently enjoying their time in their new home. For instance, Nami was taking a bath in the bathhouse, sighing content at the relaxing feeling of the water.

"If this is a dream, I don't wanna wake up," she said. "Taking a bath on a ship while letting the ocean waves gently rock the ship up and down...is there a better feeling than that?"

Meanwhile, Chopper was sitting at his desk, in his new sick bay, complete with medicine cabinet, cot, and wheeled chair that even spins around.

"I can't believe I have my own room, now~!" Chopper said, cheerily as he spun in his chair. "What's the problem?" He then giggled, giddily as he spun around. "Nothing at all~! Hurry up and bring me some patients!"

Sanji only watched through the porthole window with a smile on his face before he went to the kitchen, but concurrently, outside...

 **SPLASH!**

"I caught it! It's a huge shark, this time!"

"Put it in, Luffy! Put it in the fish tank!"

Luffy grinned impishly as he carried a large shark with two horns over his head towards a hatch filled with water, which led to the fish tank in the Aquarium Bar, one of the _Sunny's_ special features. The shark attempted to bite Luffy, but the Straw Hat Captain jumped back and punched it in the head.

"Get in there, you!" he shouted as the shark fell into the tank, where Sanji, Robin, and Franky sat. The tank was already filled with an abundance of sea life...and seeing them made the shark's mouth water.

"Well, look at that," Robin said as she took a sip of her coffee. "Looks like they've caught a shark."

"So," Franky began, "what do you guys think of the Aquarium Bar? Not bad, right?"

"The bar's nice and all, Franky," Sanji began as he eyed the shark, "but I'm more worried about the shark."

XXX

"Come on, let's go see!" Usopp exclaimed as he and Luffy ran to the Aquarium Bar.

"Yeah, the other fish are gonna love this!" Luffy agreed, just as he and Usopp stopped in front of the door.

"Hey!" Luffy called as he and Usopp burst in. "Did you see the shark, yet?! The one with the cool horns?!"

"Oh, yes," Robin answered, casually. "It's a very fascinating specimen...but it doesn't seem to get along well with other species."

Luffy and Usopp looked at the fish tank...and found the shark with a bib wrapped around its neck, a knife and fork in its fins, and a hugely bloated belly as it let out a gurgling belch.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH~!" Luffy and Usopp shrieked in comical shock.

"WHAT DID YOU EXPECT WOULD HAPPEN?!" Sanji questioned. "DOES THE FOOD CHAIN MEAN SOMETHING TO YOU, YOU MORONS?!"

"THAT'S IT, YOU STUPID SHARK!" Luffy barked. "SANJI, BARBECUE THIS DAMN FISH!"

"Hold it, hold it!" Sanji exclaimed. "You can't just barbecue a shark! It's a fresh fish! We could make...uh...oh! Sashimi sounds good, or boiled shark soup...even some tempura!"

"Ooh, hearing that makes me hungry~!" Luffy said as his stomach rumbled, noisily.

"Didn't you just eat like 10 minutes ago?" Usopp asked in a deadpan tone. "Not that shark tempura doesn't sound good, though."

Up in the Crow's Nest/gymnasium, Zoro let out a lazy yawn as he looked outside the window, keeping a lookout. Personally, this was his favorite room because this was the only place he could put his training equipment and not have to worry about Luffy and Usopp's antics interrupting him. Plus, it made a good napping spot, too.

At that moment, Nami came outside, wearing a bathrobe and wiping her face with a towel.

"Haa..." she sighed. "Man, what a great bath. I almost didn't wanna get outta there." She then looked up at the sky. "This ship is amazing. It's almost like a hotel on the sea, but with no charge, of course."

As the Straw Hats continued to enjoy themselves on their new home on the seas...Zoro just happened to spot something out of the corner of his eye. At first, it seemed like he couldn't make it out, but then his eyes went wide as it drew closer: a large cluster of storm clouds.

"Oh, crap," the swordsman cursed before he picked up the intercom. **"Hey, guys! We got a problem! Incoming storm clouds off the starboard bow!"**

"What?!" Nami questioned as she looked to where Zoro had spotted said clouds, and sure enough, there they were. "Oh, no..."

Soon after, everyone else came outside, just as the clouds were getting closer.

"That doesn't look good," Sanji said, almost nervously.

"Franky, quick!" Nami called. "Take the helm!"

"SUPER leave it to me!" Franky exclaimed as he hurried to the helm.

"Luffy, Chopper, Usopp, tie everything down!" Nami ordered.

"Right!" Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper nodded before they ran to keep their supplies secure.

"Zoro! Sanji! Furl up the sails!" Nami exclaimed.

"Aye-aye, Nami, my dear!" Sanji exclaimed with heart-shaped eyes while Zoro groaned in annoyace before they ran to bring the sails up.

"Robin, maybe you should help, too!" Nami added.

"Of course," Robin agreed before she crossed her arms, which caused more to sprout on the mizzenmast and furl up the sails. Soon after, the storm clouds were upon them, and with it came a downpour of raining and rumbling thunder. **FWASH!** Lightning flashed and cracked the heavens, causing Chopper to shriek as he jumped onto Usopp's face.

"GAH!" Usopp cried as he tried to pry Chopper off his head. "CHOPPER, GET OFF, I CAN'T SEE!"

"SCARY LIGHTNING!" Chopper cried.

 **CREEEEEEAAAAAK!** The _Sunny_ lurched to the left as the wind howled, nearly capsizing as the crew tried to keep themselves on their feet, but thankfully, Franky managed to set her upright, again.

"Don't worry about a thing, guys!" Franky called out. "As long as ol' Franky's at the wheel, the _Sunny_ will power through anything! That's a SUPER guarantee!"

"Yeah, bro!" Chopper cheered, just as Usopp pulled him off his face and gasped for air.

"You trying to kill me or something?!" Usopp questioned.

"Welcome to the club!" Zoro called.

 **SPLASH!** The waves crashed against the _Sunny's_ hull, so harshly that Luffy almost got knocked overboard, but thankfully, Robin used her powers to keep him from falling over the rail.

"Whoa!" Luffy cried before he looked up at Robin, who smiled at him. "Thanks, Robin! You saved my bacon!"

"My pleasure," Robin answered as she pulled Luffy aboard.

"This isn't good!" Sanji shouted. "It doesn't look like this storm is gonna let up, anytime soon!"

"If we don't find a way outta this soon, we're sunk!" Zoro added.

"Nami!" Luffy called.

"I'm already on it!" Nami answered as she stood at the helm with Franky, looking out to the horizon. At first, she couldn't seem to spot anything with the rain buffeting her face, but then, she gasped as she saw something, just northwest of their position. Due to the distance, it looked quite small, but then Nami looked down at her Log Pose and saw that the needle was pointing directly at it.

"Franky!" Nami called. "Steer the ship just 40 degrees to port!"

"Got it!" Franky answered as he began to steer the ship to Nami's instructions.

"You see something, Nami?!" Luffy called.

"Yeah, there's an island up ahead!" Nami replied. "The Log Pose is pointing right toward it!"

"Then let's go!" Franky exclaimed as he grabbed the lever. "Everybody, hang on tight, you hear me?!"

Heeding Franky's word, the Straw Hats quickly grabbed onto the railing, the mast, and even the rigging, just as the cyborg pulled the lever, and the back cannon soon began to glow a bright light.

"Oh, man, I love this part!" Luffy grinned.

"I don't!" Usopp bemoaned.

"Coup de...BURST~!" Franky shouted, and then, **BOOM!** The _Sunny_ soon went flying right through the sky with Luffy cheering and hollering the whole way as they soared towards their next destination.

XXX

 **Woooooooo...KERSPLASH!** The _Sunny_ landed on the sea after what felt like hours of flying through the air, and as Nami had said, there was an island right up ahead, and upon getting closer, they saw that there was a port town with shops already docked at the harbor. Nami decided not to risk getting spotted by anyone, so she advised Franky to steer the ship to the East side of the island and hide her inside a cave. Once there, the Straw Hats decided to take a moment to sit out on the deck to recuperate and think of what to do until the storm subsided.

"Ugh...I hate storms," Chopper said as Robin dried his fur off with a towel.

"Yeah, I'm not to keen on 'em, either, little bud," Usopp said as he dried his hair.

"I _just_ got through taking a bath," Nami said in irritation as she dried off her hair, as well, while Luffy opted to stand on all fours and shake himself dry like a dog, causing Zoro and Nami to cry out in surprise.

"Dammit, Luffy!" Zoro cursed. "You're getting us wet, again!"

"Sorry," Luffy apologized as he stood up, only for Nami to bop him on the head.

"Idiot!" she shouted.

"So now what do we do?" Franky asked.

"Well, I got good news and bad news," Sanji answered. "Bad news is we're running low on food."

"Aww, man~!" Luffy groaned.

"Good news is since there's a town on this island, we can go to the market and restock our supply," Sanji added.

"While we're at it," Franky began, "might as well see if I can get some more carpenter supplies. Gonna need some extra nails, screws...oh! And cola, too. Used up the last of it for the Coup de Burst."

"And we also need to find out how long the log sets here," Nami said.

"Well, looks like we have no choice," Luffy said. "Let's head to town, you guys!"

"Right!" the Straw Hats nodded as they prepared to disembark.

XXX

The rain had gone from a torrential downpour to just lightly pouring. Even so, everyone was trying their hardest to keep out of the weather by staying indoors. Even the cats and mice in the alleys did their best to hide from the rain. However, the only ones who were out in it were the Straw Hats, who walked through the streets as the rain kept coming down on them, although Nami, Robin, Sanji, Usopp, and Chopper were the only ones who had umbrellas, while Luffy, Zoro, and Franky didn't seem to mind the rain, at all.

"...Maybe we should've waited until the rain stopped," Nami said.

"Yeah," Sanji said. "I mean...the only ones who are brave enough to be out here in the rain are us and...that dog right there."

"Say what?" Nami asked as she and the rest of the Straw Hats looked to where Sanji was pointing, and that's when they saw a large house...actually, more like a mansion, sitting in the heart of the city, and in front of that...was this white dog that reached up to Luffy's waist in height, with big, pricked up ears, cherry blossom pink eyes, a long snout, and a silver chain-link necklace with a skull-and-crossbones charm fastened around his neck. He just sat there, staring with stoic eyes, even as the rain poured down on him, drenching his fur.

"How come he's just sitting there?" Chopper asked, a bit worriedly.

"Who cares?" Zoro asked. "He can do whatever the hell he wants."

"I agree with Zoro," Usopp said, nervously. "He doesn't look all that friendly to me."

"Yeah...maybe we should leave him alone," Nami said.

"Uh...hey, where'd Straw Hat go?" Franky asked, causing the others to look at the spot where Luffy once stood.

"What the-?!" Nami questioned, only to spot her captain walking up to the dog, and all she could was slap her palm against her forehead. "Oh, no."

"Maybe it won't be so bad," Chopper said. "Maybe the dog's friendly!"

"Hi!" Luffy waved to the dog. "I'm Luffy! What's your name?"

The dog didn't respond. Hell, it didn't even look like he noticed Luffy at all.

"Hello~!" Luffy called as he waved his hand in front of the dog's eyes, but still, no reaction, causing him to give a slightly disappointed sigh, but then he grinned. "Oh, I know!" He then held out his hand to the dog. "Shake hands!"

Still no response. Not even a twitch of the leg.

"Seriously?" Luffy asked.

"Luffy, don't you go doing anything I wouldn't do!" Nami warned. "I mean it!"

"You know he's not gonna listen, right?" Sanji asked.

"Hmm..." Luffy hummed, curiously. "Maybe he's dead."

As if to test that theory, he proceeded to poke the dog in the chest, tug on his ears, and prod his nose...but that proved to be the last straw that broke the camel's back for this dog. Before anyone could even react, the canine growled viciously before he opened his jaws and snapped them shut on Luffy's wrist.

"YOW~!" Luffy yowled. "LET GO OF ME, YOU STUPID DOG! THAT HURTS! OUCH!"

"Yep, I knew it," Nami deadpanned before she and the others ran to help their captain. While she, Chopper, Usopp, and Robin grabbed Luffy, Zoro, Franky, and Sanji grabbed hold of the dog and began to pull, but the dog's fangs were clenched tight on Luffy's wrist, and the more Luffy struggled to get free, the more dog's sharp teeth dug into his flesh.

"Get him off, get him off, get him off!" Luffy urged.

"We're _trying_ , Luffy!" Zoro barked.

"Dammit, what is up with this dog?!" Sanji cursed as she tried to use his foot to pry open the dog's jaws. "It's like trying to open up a bear trap!"

"Forget using your foot!" Franky cried. "We need a crowbar or something!"

"HEY, YOU!"

The group froze before they turned around and spotted a woman holding an umbrella with a ten-gallon hat upon her long, blonde hair that went down to her shoulder blades, a pair of dark green high-waters, and a mahogany sweater that revealed a bit of cleavage.

"What do you people think you're doing to Blizzard?!" she questioned. "Let him go, right this instant!"

"...Blizzard?" the Straw Hats repeated while the dog, known as Blizzard, kept biting down on Luffy's wrist.

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 **TO BE CONTINUED...**

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Next time on One Piece: The Rivet Island Arc.

Hillary: I'm sorry about Blizzard. He's not very good around strangers.

Usopp: That's okay. Luffy more or less brought it on himself.

Luffy: Hey!

Sanji: So, your dog's name is Blizzard, huh?

Hillary: Technically, he's not really MY dog. I'm just looking after him for my husband.

Nami: Boy, this almost sounds familiar.

Chopper: How come Blizzard's sitting out in the rain?

Hillary: Well...let's just say that Blizzard's upholding a promise my husband made to him. It's been three years...and he's still waiting for him to come home.

Luffy: ... ... ...

Next time: **A Dog's Resolve**

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Review, please!


	2. A Dog's Resolve

**Ch. 2- A Dog's Resolve**

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One Piece © Oda

Blizzard © Me

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"Well?!" the woman questioned as she glared at the Straw Hats, who still held Blizzard within their grasp in their attempt to free their captain's arm from his jaws. "What are you waiting for, Christmas?! Let Blizzard go, right now!"

Realizing the infraction they had made against this woman, the Straw Hats quickly released the canine, who kept biting on Luffy's wrist.

"And that goes for you, too, Blizzard!" the woman scolded. "You let go of that poor boy, right this instant!"

Blizzard's ears drooped, realizing his error before he glanced up at Luffy, who blinked down at him in slight surprise, perhaps not expecting the dog to be scolded. Then, Blizzard opened up his jaws, thus releasing Luffy's wrist from their grip. Luffy seethed in pain as he held up his hand, which dripped with blood from the deep lacerations made by the canine's fangs. Needless to say, he was quite taken back by how strong the dog's bite force was. He had been bitten by dogs before, but their bite force was never strong enough to pierce his flesh.

"Oh, no!" Chopper cried. "Luffy's wrist is bleeding really bad! SOMEONE GET A DOCTOR!"

" _You're_ the doctor!" Zoro and Usopp pointed out.

"Oh, yeah!" Chopper realized.

"Blizzard, you bad dog," the woman chided at Blizzard, who shrunk back a bit. "Is this how you welcome guests to our island? Trying to bite their hands off?!"

"Uh...miss?" Nami asked. "To be fair, Luffy was the one who pestered your dog, first, so the fault is mostly his."

"Hey!" Luffy shouted.

"Please forgive our idiot captain for bothering your dog," Sanji said with a grin. "By the way, I'm Sanji, the humble cook of this crew." He then took the woman's hand in his own and kissed it, which elicited a deep, irritable growl from Blizzard, to Zoro's amusement.

"Sounds like the mutt's got your number, cook," the swordsman quipped.

"Watch it, crap swordsman," Sanji glared.

"By the way," Robin began, "we never got your name."

"Oh, yes!" the woman realized. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Hillary, the mayor of this town. Welcome to Rivet Island!"

"A pleasure to meet you, Your Honor," Nami greeted back.

"I do apologize on Blizzard's behalf," Hillary said. "He's not really used to strangers, but once he gets to know you, he's as friendly as can be."

"You call THAT friendly?" Franky asked as he glanced down at Blizzard, who had this bitter look in his eyes. "Dog looks ready to maul someone!"

 _'Another crack like that, buddy,'_ thought Blizzard as he sneered at Franky, _'and you're gonna find my fangs in your ass...'_

"Listen," Hillary started, "this is no weather for people like you to be out in. Why don't you all come into my house? I just made some salmon and sea salt stew!"

 **Grrrrrwwwl~!** All eyes fell on Luffy, who had a hand on his stomach as it growled deeply.

"Shishishi!" he chuckled, sheepishly. "Sorry...guess I'm kinda hungry."

"Food does sound pretty good, right about now," Sanji said.

"We would love to come in," Robin added.

With that said, Hillary opened the door to her mansion, allowing the Straw Hats to walk in to get themselves dry. However, she looked down at Blizzard, who just sat on the patio, staring blankly at the horizon, which caused her eyes to soften in concern. She then approached the dog and pet his head gently, causing him to glance at her.

"Blizzard," Hillary said, "why don't you come inside, too? I know you don't like to be out here in the rain."

A pause...but then Blizzard returned his gaze towards the horizon, to Hillary's worry. She then sighed as she got up and prepared to head inside, but not before she glanced back at the dog.

"Just know that you can come inside whenever you're ready," she said before she went inside the mansion and closed the door, while Blizzard heaved a sigh as he lied down, letting the rain continue to pour down on his ashen fur.

 _'As much as I would like to go inside...I can't,'_ he thought...as his silver necklace shimmered slightly. _'After all...I promised him I'd wait for him...and that's what I'm going to do.'_

XXX

 **SHLUUUUUUUUURRP!** Luffy, who had his hand bandaged up by Chopper, had already downed his 12th bowl of stew and gave a loud sigh as he held the bowl out towards Hillary, who blinked in surprise as she gave a bowl to Chopper.

"More, please!" he called out, only for Sanji to slam his heel on the back of his head.

"Knock it off!" the cook barked. "You already had 12 bowls of stew! Stop taking advantage of Miss Hillary's hospitality!"

"Ow~!" Luffy whined.

"Goodness, I've never seen such an appetite!" Hillary exclaimed.

"Yeah, that's pretty much Luffy," Nami said with a slightly irritated expression. The Straw Hats all sat around the long dining room table of Hillary's mansion, which in itself held many rooms, such as the master bedroom, several guest rooms, 3 bathrooms, and even a pool on the roof. Hell, there was even a hot tub next to it, to boot, as well as a lookout tower with a working extending telescope.

"So, tell me," said Hillary, "what brings you folks to our humble little corner of the world?"

"Well, we were just coming from Water 7," Usopp answered. "Of course, we made a stop or two along the way."

"But then this crazy storm hit us," Franky added. "We just happened to come here because our Log Pose was pointing to it."

"Speaking of which," Nami spoke up, "how long does the log set here?"

"Hmm...exactly eight days," Hillary answered.

"More than enough time for us to gather supplies," Sanji said.

"By the way," Hillary began, "you're all pirates, aren't you?"

The whole room froze upon hearing that.

"Y-you knew?" Nami asked.

"I saw you guys coming from my lookout tower," Hillary answered. "When I saw your flag, I knew instantly who you were. It's okay, though, I'm not going to rat you out to the Marines. Besides, the wanted posters haven't arrived, yet."

"Well, that's a relief," Zoro said while Hillary sighed and looked out the window.

"Something wrong?" Robin asked.

"It's nothing," Hillary answered. "I'm just...worried about Blizzard, that's all."

"So your dog's name is Blizzard, huh?" Sanji asked. "I guess that makes sense."

"Well, technically, Blizzard isn't really MY dog," Hillary answered. "He really belongs to my husband. I'm just looking after him until he comes home."

Hearing the word "husband" in that sentence immediately caused Sanji to deflate while Zoro smirked at him.

"Well, how come Blizzard's just sitting out in the rain?" Chopper asked. "Why don't you bring him inside, where it's safe and dry?"

"I've tried," Hillary answered, "but he won't come in, no matter what I do." She then sighed. "It can't be helped. After all, this is his way of upholding the promise that my husband made to him...it's been three years now, and all he's done is wait for Robby to come back home."

"Robby," Robin repeated. "Is that your husband's name?"

"Mm-hmm," Hillary nodded.

"Wait...Blizzard's been waiting 3 years for his master to come home?!" Nami asked in disbelief.

"That's right," Hillary answered.

 _Flashback; 3 years ago_

The sun was slowly beginning to set beyond the west at Hillary's mansion. She stood at the doorway, watching with sadness and concern as she stared at a tall, muscular man with pale skin, platinum blonde hair, complete with mustache and beard, and bright blue eyes. His attire consisted of a white shirt with thick, purple stripes, a pair of trousers with a dark blue sash around his waist which held a saber, and a green buccaneer coat that dangle off his shoulders like a cape, and around his neck was the same necklace that Blizzard was wearing.

In front of the man was a little white puppy, barely as big as a common house cat, with his right ear flopping over while the left ear was pricked up. The man smiled down at the puppy before he gently petted his head, causing him to pant happily and wag his tail.

"Robby," Hillary spoke, causing the man to look up at her. "Is there really no other way?"

"Sorry, Hillary," the man, Robby, answered, "but I have to do what needs to be done. This is for his own good."

Blizzard made a confused whine as he tilted his head in perplexity, while Robby looked down at him and gently scooped him in his arms.

"Listen, Blizzard," Robby said. "Where I'm going...you can't follow me. It's just too dangerous for a little pup like you."

Blizzard's eyes went wide and his ears started to droop, and then he whined as he rested his head against his master's chest.

"Now, don't you give me that look," Robby said. "I'm not leaving you behind forever. I just can't risk losing you...not now."

Blizzard only looked away, sadly.

"Listen," Robby said as he put the puppy down on the ground, "I promise I'll be back, Blizzard...okay?" He then reached up behind his neck, unhooked his necklace, and then fastened around Blizzard's neck. "Until then, you can keep this to remember me by."

Blizzard wagged his tail before he began to lick his master's face, causing him to laugh as he wiped off the puppy slobber.

"Good boy," Robby praised as he pet him, then stood up to leave. "Well, my crew's waiting, Hillary. Better shove off before the tide changes."

"Good luck out there," Hillary answered as she went up and kissed Robby on the lips, which he turned before the two parted. Then, her husband turned and walked away, heading towards the docks, where a huge galleon ship with a leaping wolf for a figurehead was moored, and on board were several other men, at least a crew of 20 or more.

"Set sail, men!" Robby shouted as he threw a fist into the air. "We're off to find the greatest treasure in the world: the One Piece!"

"AYE-AYE~!" the crew cheered, and soon, they began to sail off towards the open sea, and all the while, Blizzard stood in that same spot, watching the sea even after the ship was long out of his sight. The puppy whimpered before he sat down...watching and waiting for any sign of his master.

 _Flashback end_

"And so it went," Hillary said. "Blizzard just sits out there, waiting for Robby to come back...still remembering the promise that his master made to him, 3 years ago."

For some reason, Luffy seemed unusually silent. It was almost a little unsettling, but no one seemed to pay any mind. However, the silence was soon broken when Nami stood up and slammed her hands on the table.

"That's so unfair!" she shouted. "Why would he just up and leave Blizzard like that and make such an unreasonable promise?!"

"T-take it easy, Nami!" Usopp exclaimed.

"For all we know," Nami began, "Robby could've just up and abandoned Blizzard! Or worse yet, he could've died out there, and Blizzard would never know!"

"I doubt Robby would just abandon Blizzard," Hillary said. "He left him here because he thought he'd be in too much danger when he was a puppy. Besides...Blizzard's rather smart for a dog. I think he'd know if something happened to Robby." She then sighed. "Honestly, I am a little worried. Since three months ago, he stopped answering my calls and letters...I only wonder if he's all right."

The Straw Hats glanced at each other, some in concern, and some looking confused...mostly Luffy.

"Anyway," Hillary began, "this storm doesn't look like it's going to be letting up anytime soon. It'll probably last until nightfall. Until it's time for you all to set sail, you're all more than welcome to stay here in my mansion. I have plenty of room."

"Oh, we don't wanna impose," Nami said.

"Nonsense!" Hillary replied. "I insist. It's the least I could do."

"In that case," Zoro began, "you got any booze in this place?"

"Zoro!" Nami snapped.

"What?!" Zoro questioned. "I haven't had a drink in a while!"

"You just had rum, this morning!" Sanji countered.

"Just a bottle," Zoro rebuked.

Just then, Luffy got out of his chair and headed over to the pot of stew before he picked up a bowl and ladled some stew into it.

"Luffy!" Nami chided. "You already had enough stew!"

"This isn't for me," Luffy replied before he left the dining hall, grabbing an umbrella as he did, and then opened the door to find Blizzard, still lying in the rain. The dog didn't seem to pay him any mind at all...until he suddenly felt no rain fall upon his pelt. He looked up and saw an umbrella over him, and before him was a bowl of stew.

 _'What the...?'_ he thought before he looked up and saw Luffy, who smiled down at him.

"Hi," Luffy greeted. "I think we got off on the wrong foot, before."

Blizzard only glared at him before he looked away.

"Oh, come on," Luffy pouted. "Don't tell me you're still mad at me for poking your nose."

Blizzard didn't respond.

"Okay," Luffy began, "I'm sorry for poking you. There, was that so bad?"

 _'You sound like you don't mean it,'_ Blizzard thought.

"Anyway," Luffy began, "anyway...I gotta head inside. It's raining cats and dogs out here...err...no offense."

Blizzard just kept lying in his little spot.

"...Okay then," Luffy said as he went back inside. "See ya later, I guess." On that, he closed the door behind him, while Hillary blinked in surprise.

"W...why did you do that?" she asked.

"Do what?" Luffy asked.

"Blizzard bit you," Hillary answered, "and...you gave him an umbrella and a bowl of stew?"

"Yeah, I thought he could use something to keep him dry and warm him up on the inside," Luffy said with a shrug. "No big deal."

"But...I-I don't understand," Hillary said.

"Don't bother," Nami replied, although she had a bit of a soft smile on her face, as did the rest of the Straw Hats. "That's just how Luffy is."

A pause...but then Hillary smiled.

"If you say so," she said.

 _'I can't believe that he would do that,'_ the mayor thought as she glanced outside. _'Aside from Robby and myself...no one has ever treated Blizzard so kindly, before.'_

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

Next time on One Piece: The Rivet Island Arc.

Luffy: Hey, Blizzard! You wanna come and hang out with me?

Blizzard: *thinking* _'Is he serious, right now? Why would he wanna hang out with me?_

?: What's that wolf doing out here, again?!

Woman: Is that boy out of his mind?! Becoming friends with that vicious creature?!

Chopper: How come everyone in town hates Blizzard so much?

Hillary: ...It's because he's half-wolf.

Next time: **Blizzard's Plight**

* * *

Review, please!


	3. Blizzard's Plight

**Ch. 3- Blizzard's Plight**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard © Me

* * *

The following morning...

"Sanji~! Wake up~! I'm hungry~!"

Sanji snored as he lied in one of the guest bedrooms, hugging his pillow while making a perverted snicker.

"Mmm...Nami...snuggle closer, my dear," he muttered as he kissed his pillow. "And you, too, Robin, my sweet...and of course, my lovely Vivi."

"Oh, god..." Zoro grumbled as he got out of bed. "Wake him up, will you, before he makes me sick!"

"Tell me about it," Franky added in annoyance.

"I'm trying!" Luffy complained as he nudged Sanji. "But he won't wake up!" He then put his mouth to Sanji's ear. "Sanji! Come on, wake up, already! I'm starving!"

"Hehehehehe...!" Sanji chuckled with a bit of drool coming out of his mouth. "How about a kiss~?"

"Blech!" Luffy gagged before his stomach began to grumble, causing him to rub it, gently. "I know, I know. I want breakfast, too." He then glared at the still-snoozing cook. "Fine! If that's how you're gonna be, I'll go out to eat!"

With that, he stormed out of the room and prepared to head downstairs, but as he did, he accidentally bumped into Hillary, who had several papers in her arms, which she ended up dropping.

"Oh, no, my paperwork!" cried Hillary.

"Oops! Sorry about that!" Luffy answered as he picked the papers up. "Here you go."

"Thank you," Hillary replied as she took the papers from him. "Where are you off to?"

"Sanji's sleeping," Luffy replied, "and I'm hungry, so I'm gonna go out to get breakfast."

"Ah, I see," Hillary said. "Well, see you later, then. In the meantime, I'm going to get these filed and your navigator said she wanted to talk to me about something."

"Okay," Luffy replied before he walked out the door. As he did, though, he spotted Blizzard, who was lying on the ground, still staring out towards the horizon. That's when Luffy noticed that the bowl that he had given Blizzard was empty, causing him to grin before he looked to the dog.

"Hey, Blizzard!" he greeted, causing Blizzard to side-eye him in annoyance. "I see you ate the stew I left for ya! Was it good?"

Blizzard only blinked at Luffy before he turned his head away.

"Aww, come on, you're not still sore at me, are you?" Luffy asked in slight disappointment. "I said I was sorry!"

No response, causing the Straw Hat Captain to heave a sigh.

"Fine," he muttered before he walked down the steps and headed to town, but then stopped as yet another grin appeared on his face before he turned to look at Blizzard. "Hey, Blizzard! I'm gonna go get some grub! Why don't you come and hang out with me?"

Blizzard's ears perked up before he looked at Luffy in surprise, then looked left and right before he looked back at the raven-haired boy and pointed a claw at himself, as if asking "You talking to me?".

"Duh, of course you!" Luffy said. "So? You in or out?"

A pause...but then Blizzard stood up and, after a few seconds of hesitation, he began to walk toward Luffy, who smiled at him.

"Let's go, buddy!" he exclaimed before he walked into town with Blizzard following after him.

 _'...He called me...buddy,'_ he thought. _'But...why?'_

XXX

"So, what did you need help with, Nami?" Hilary asked as she and Nami entered the mansion library, where Robin and Chopper were also sitting, the former reading a history book on the table.

"Well, Your Honor," said Nami, "my friends and I are setting a course for Fishman Island and I was wondering if you knew anything about getting there."

"Well, I can't say that I don't," said Hilary. "Although, honestly, I wouldn't recommend it."

"Why?" Chopper asked.

"There's this one sea that you might hit on the way to Fishman Island," Hilary said. "The Florian Triangle, they call it." She then set down a map on the table and pointed to a particular part of sea. "It's right here, but they say that some unusual phenomena occurs there."

"Like what?" asked Nami.

"They call it...the Sea of Spirits," said Hilary in a bit of a grim tone, causing Nami and Chopper to whimper in fright. "I've heard many a tale about this place. They say this place is haunted by ghost ships and sea spirits that capture unsuspecting sailors."

"AAAAAAAAAH!" Chopper shrieked. "SCARY~!"

"...You know, maybe I don't wanna go to Fishman Island, after all," Nami squeaked while Robin chuckled.

"I honestly wouldn't mind it," she said. "I'm a girl who likes thrills."

"I see," Hilary chuckled.

"...Sometimes I wonder if Usopp and I are the only normal ones in the crew," Nami muttered.

At that moment, they heard a yawn and saw Sanji walk in.

"Man, I slept like a log," he said.

"Morning, Sanji!" Nami greeted.

"Oh, good morning, Nami, Robin, Hilary, my dears!" Sanji exclaimed in his usual lovey-dovey tone. "I hope I haven't slept too long! I could still cook for you, if you like!"

"Breakfast sounds great," Hilary replied. "Although, your captain was trying to wake you, earlier."

"Really?" Sanji asked. "Oh...I thought I heard his voice while I was asleep...and his stomach."

"Where did Luffy go, anyway?" asked Nami.

"Said something about going out to eat, instead," said Hilary.

"I saw him leave, actually!" Chopper added. "And he took Blizzard with him!"

"What?!" Hilary asked in disbelief. "Blizzard actually went with him?! But...he hardly leaves the porch, these days!" She then bit her lip in worry. "Oh, dear...I hope he'll be okay!"

"What's the big deal?" Nami asked. "He's only going into town. Besides, Luffy's with him."

"You don't understand," said Hilary. "There's a reason Blizzard doesn't go into town, these days."

XXX

Outside in the streets, Luffy walked along with Blizzard walking behind him. As they strolled, the latter looked around and saw lots of the townspeople, glaring at him in disapproval and disgust. A little boy pointed at Blizzard with an eager look on his face, but his mother quickly told him to put his hand down and scolded him. The sight made the canine whimper as he kept walking beside Luffy, who only looked around in irritation.

"Jeez, what's with everybody?" he asked. "Everyone's just looking at us like we got two heads. What's the big deal?"

 _'If only you knew...'_ he thought.

"Well, well...the world must be coming to an end!"

Luffy looked up and saw a man of average height, perhaps about as tall as Zoro, wearing a bear-skin cloak with the top jaw over his head like a hood, as well as a belt buckle that had the shape of some big cat's head, and hooked to it was a musket rifle. He had a bit of a rugged appearance, with a scruffy mustache on his upper lip and rather thick eyebrows. If one didn't know better, they'd say he was some sort of hunter, and by his side was a Doberman Pinscher, about twice as tall as Blizzard with a golden collar and these piercing red eyes that said "I'm better than you, so back off".

For some reason, seeing the Doberman made Blizzard shrink back as he hid behind Luffy with his tail between his legs, whimpering in fear.

XXX

Back at Hilary's mansion, the Straw Hats were all in the dining room again, eating some delicious Crepe Suzette, courtesy of Sanji.

"Why doesn't Blizzard ever go into town?" asked Chopper as he sat in Robin's lap.

"...The whole town hates Blizzard," said Hilary, sadly. "The last time he went into town...he was almost beaten to death and barely got away."

Nami gasped silently as she looked over at the other Straw Hats.

"But...why would anyone beat Blizzard up?" Usopp asked. "It makes no sense."

"...It's because of his parentage," Hilary answered.

XXX

"Who the hell are you?" asked Luffy.

"Who am I?" asked the man. "I, boy, am Sir Darcy, the greatest game hunter alive!"

"...Isn't Darcy a girl's name?" Luffy asked, bluntly.

"WHO ASKED YOU?!" Darcy yelled before he cleared his throat. "Listen, boy...if I were you, I wouldn't be hanging around that beast." He then pointed at Blizzard. "He's nothing but trouble."

"Huh?" Luffy muttered before he looked back at Blizzard. "You mean Blizzard?"

"Of course I mean him!" Darcy answered as he eyed Luffy's bandaged hand. "It seems you've had a run-in with him, already, in fact."

"Yeah, he bit me," Luffy affirmed, "but it was my fault. I kept poking him."

"Hmph...he's really got you fooled, doesn't he?" asked Darcy. "Don't you even know what he is?"

"He's a dog, isn't he?" Luffy asked.

"Dog?" Darcy repeated before he burst into laughter. "You fool...don't you know a wolf when you see one?!"

"...A wolf?" Luffy repeated.

"Of course!" Darcy replied. "A bloodthirsty, vicious beast with the cunning of a demon! That's what a wolf is!"

Blizzard whimpered as he shrunk back, which caused the Doberman to snicker at him, while Luffy glanced down at him in concern before he glared up at Darcy, who grinned smugly.

"If it weren't for the fact that he's the mayor's pet," he said, "I would've gladly skinned him and put his head up on my mantle."

"Hey!" Luffy shouted. "I don't care who you are! You don't talk about my friends that way!"

Hearing that caused the whole town to gasp in surprise, and Darcy stepped back, as if horrified by this statement. Blizzard, on the other hand, Blizzard blinked up at Luffy in surprise.

 _'...Friend...?'_ he thought.

XXX

"What does Blizzard's parentage have to do with anything?" Zoro asked.

"...A long time ago, when my husband and I adopted Blizzard," Hilary began, "we took him to the vet in order to make sure he was healthy...but we also found out about his DNA. You see...half of him is a Husky."

"And what's the other half?" asked Franky.

"...The other half...is wolf," answered Hilary, which caused the Straw Hats to blink in surprise.

"A wolf, huh?" Chopper whispered.

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

Next time on One Piece: The Rivet Island Arc!

Nami: *sees Luffy covered in alcohol and food* Luffy, what happened to you?!

Luffy: I kinda got into a fight. No big deal.

Blizzard: *looks a bit guilty*

Man: That wolf isn't welcome around here! Get him outta my bar!

Luffy: I don't care if Blizzard's a wolf or any kind of dog! He's my friend!

Hilary: I can't believe that someone would actually stand up for Blizzard like your captain did.

Robin: That's just how he is.

Chopper: Hey, where did Blizzard go?

Hilary: He probably went to THAT place again.

Luffy: Huh? That place?

Next time: **Declaration of Friendship**

* * *

Review, please!


	4. Declaration of Friendship

**Ch. 4- Declaration of Friendship**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard © Me

* * *

Hillary stared up at the cuckoo clock on the wall, which read 3 o'clock, with nervousness and worry. Luffy had taken Blizzard with him about 7 hours ago, and neither of them had come back from getting breakfast. After staring at the clock for at least 30 more seconds and the minute hand moved just a centimeter away from the 12, Hillary finally sighed as she went to grab her jacket.

"That's it," she said. "I'm going out there to look for them."

"Relax," Nami said. "I'm sure Luffy will be back with Blizzard soon enough."

"But it's been hours, Miss Nami," said Hillary. "I mean...I don't mean to disrespect your captain, and all...it's Blizzard I'm more worried about! What if something's happened to him?"

"What do you think is gonna happen?" Usopp asked. "I doubt Luffy would let your dog get hurt."

"Yeah," Sanji added. "If anything, Luffy's more likely to get into trouble than Blizzard is."

"...Still..." Hillary murmured, worriedly, but then, **KNOK-KNOK!** There was a knock at the door.

"I got it!" Chopper exclaimed as he ran to answer it, using his Heavy Point form to grab the doorknob and open the door. "Hello- AAAAAAAAAAHH!"

The Straw Hats and Hillary all stood behind Chopper, only for the latter to gasp as she saw none other than Luffy...his face bloodied and having a black eye for some reason. Behind him stood Blizzard, who had a guilty expression as his ears hung at the sides of his head.

"Luffy!" Nami cried. "What in the hell happened to you?!"

"And why do you smell like booze and spit?!" asked Sanji.

"AAAAHH!" Chopper shrieked, shrinking back into Brain Point form as he ran around in circles. "SOMEONE GET A DOCTOR!"

"You're the doctor," Sanji reminded.

"Oh, yeah, that's right," Chopper realized.

"I got into a fight in town," Luffy said as he came inside. "No big deal."

"Oh, it figures!" Nami said in exasperation. "And what was it that caused such a fight?!"

"It was because of Blizzard," Luffy answered, causing everyone to look at him in slight surprise. As for Hillary, she gasped silently as she turned to look at Blizzard, who whimpered in a guilty manner before he went to sit down in his usual spot. Hillary sighed before she turned to face Luffy with an apologetic look in her eyes.

"I'm sorry about Blizzard," she said. "Whatever he did, I-"

"Blizzard didn't do anything," Luffy said. "Some jerkass did."

"Wait, what?" Nami asked.

"I'm confused," Usopp said. "You're saying you didn't start the fight, this time?"

"Did something happen in town?" Franky asked.

"I think I better start from the beginning," Luffy said. "You see, Blizzard and I were in town, on our way to get something to eat, and we got stopped by some hunter guy and his Doberman."

"Sir Darcy..." whispered Hillary.

"You know him?" Nami asked.

"I've seen him around town a few times," said Hillary. "All he and his dog, Rio, ever do is harass Blizzard, as well as me." Then she looked up at Luffy. "So, what happened this time, Captain Luffy?"

"Well..." Luffy started.

 _Flashback_

Luffy stood in the middle of town, glaring at Darcy while Blizzard stood behind the Straw Hat Captain, blinking up at the raven-haired adolescent in disbelief. The crowd that had gathered was even more shocked by the boy's statement, but Luffy remained unfazed. That's when Darcy began to chuckle and laugh, and even his dog joined in his laughter.

"You call that beast your friend?!" he asked. "Wolves would sooner bite your backside than be friends with humans!"

"And how do you know that?" Luffy asked. "Has Blizzard ever bitten you, before? Or attacked you?"

Darcy froze, unable to find the words to say, and even the Doberman seemed a bit taken back.

"Well, no...he hasn't, but-" he started.

"Then what gives you the right to say that about him, huh?!" Luffy asked, taking Darcy even more back. "I bet you haven't taken a moment to actually get to know him!" He then snorted before he spat on one of Darcy's boots, causing him to sneer at him while his Doberman growled viciously, causing Blizzard to gasp.

 _'What the hell is he thinking?!'_ he thought. _'The last person who pissed Darcy off, he had Rio bite his fingers off!'_

But then, to his surprise, Darcy yanked on Rio's leash, causing him to yelp.

"Forget it, Rio," he told him. "This boy just isn't worth our time. If he wants to be foolish, let him."

Rio, though a bit taken back by his master's command, conceded to his orders and walked away while Blizzard blinked after him in surprise, then looked up at Luffy.

 _'I...I can't believe it,'_ he thought. _'He actually told Darcy off?'_

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed as he looked down at Blizzard. "He shouldn't be bothering you for a while. Anyway, let's get going! I'm starving!"

On that, Luffy walked, leaving Blizzard in a momentary state of confusion before he followed after him.

 _'Well...I guess that's one thing I don't have to worry about,'_ Blizzard thought as he looked up at Luffy. _'Still...this kid sure is full of surprises.'_

Eventually, the two walked into a tavern in town. The patrons were all sitting around, eating some fried rice, meat, or curry, drinking tankards of beer, or playing cards. There were even some dogs sitting under the tables, either waiting for scraps from the customers or just lazing about in general.

"This looks like a nice place to stop and eat," Luffy grinned.

"Hey, kid," said the manager of the tavern. "That wolf comin' in here with ya?"

"Huh?" Luffy muttered before he looked down at Blizzard, who blinked up at him. "Uh...yeah, Blizzard's coming in to eat with me."

"Hmm..." the manager hummed. "Well...I guess it's fine, as long as he doesn't cause trouble."

"Oh, don't worry," Luffy said. "He's not gonna cause any trouble in here. Right, Blizzard?"

Blizzard looked up at Luffy before he nodded his head in response.

"...Fine by me," the manager said while Luffy and Blizzard went to sit at a table. As they did, some of the patrons and even the dogs glared at the duo, which caused Blizzard to gulp nervously as he sat under the table that Luffy had sat down at. Soon after they did, a barmaid approached them, holding a tray.

"Can I help you two?" she asked.

"Can I get 3 plates of curry, a bowl of fried rice, and like 6 racks of meat?" asked Luffy. "Oh, and a slab of beef for Blizzard, too."

"Blizzard?" asked the barmaid before she spotted him, hiding under the table. "Oh! Is this that wolf that everyone talks about?" She then kneeled down in front of the wolf-dog, who backed away a bit. "He doesn't look dangerous to me."

 _'...I'm glad someone thinks so, I guess,'_ thought Blizzard.

"I'll get him a nice, thick steak to munch on," said the barmaid as she stood up and walked away to the kitchen.

"That's nice of her, huh, buddy?" Luffy asked while Blizzard continued to sit underneath the table, still looking around, apprehensively. "Blizzard, you don't have to be nervous, you know. Just relax! We're here to eat and have a good time!"

 _'...You know what?'_ thought Blizzard. _'As crazy as he is...he's right. Maybe, just this once, I can let my guard down.'_

After a while, the barmaid returned with Luffy's and Blizzard's meals and set them on the table and on the floor.

"Here you go," she said. "Enjoy your food!"

"Thanks!" Luffy replied before he began to shovel the food in his mouth at a rapid pace, and Blizzard was about to do the same, but then, one bigger dog with black fur came up and suddenly snatched his steak out of his bowl before turning to head back to his place.

 _"Hey!"_ Blizzard shouted in dog language. _"Give that back! It's mine!"_

 _"What are you gonna do if I don't give it back, huh?"_ asked the bigger dog as he glared at Blizzard, who shrunk back a bit with his tail between his legs and his ears pinned against his head. _"Heh...thought so."_

As he turned to head back to his place beside his master, however, Blizzard suddenly jumped at the dog and grabbed the steak in his mouth, and soon the two began to growl as they started to tug back and forth.

"Blizzard!" Luffy exclaimed.

 _"I said...give it back!"_ Blizzard growled as he kept trying to take his food back from the bigger dog's mouth.

 _"Make me!"_ the dog barked back as he tugged on the meat, even shaking his head to get Blizzard to loosen his grip, but the wolf-dog refused to relinquish the meat.

"Hey, you damn wolf!" the dog's master shouted as he stood up and grabbed a mug of beer. "Leave my dog alone!" He then threw the mug at Blizzard, who gasped before he turned his head away, bracing for the mug to shatter against his head and for glass shards to pierce his skin. However, while he did hear the sound of the glass smashing...he felt no shards of glass digging into his skin and fur, and as he looked up, he soon saw why: Luffy was standing in front of him, alcohol dripping off of his body and glass shards poking into his arms...but what unnerved Blizzard the most was the fierce glare the boy had in his eyes.

"Maybe you ought to control your damn dog," Luffy said to the man. "After all, he stole Blizzard's food first, and Blizzard wasn't even bothering anybody!"

"And who do you think you are, you brat?" asked the man as he clenched his fists, and his friends soon stood up, as well, all of them glaring at Luffy angrily like typical drunkards do. "Maybe that ought to have stayed outta here!"

"Blizzard's just here to eat and have a nice time, just like everyone else!" Luffy argued. "What gives you the right to pick on him?!"

"You're actually defending him?" asked the man as he glanced at Luffy's wrist. "Where'd you get those bandages from? Didn't that wolf bite you?"

"That was my fault," Luffy rebuked. "I provoked Blizzard into biting me. I only brought him with me as a way to make it up to him, but instead, all of you guys are just giving him dirty looks when he's done nothing wrong! He's a member of this town, just like all of you!"

"Well, some of us just don't see it that way!" the man shouted as he charged at Luffy, who easily held him back and punched him across the face, but that soon enticed his buddies to begin ganging up on Luffy all at once, and while they were fighting, Blizzard sat under the table, watching as Luffy fought back to the best of his ability. Sure, he got punched in the face a couple of times, but to the wolf-dog's amazement, the scrawny teenager was surprisingly able to hold his own. He even knocked out a few guys with a single punch. Of course, everyone in the bar was fairly surprised once they saw Luffy stretching his arms, thus revealing his Devil Fruit powers. Eventually, though, the violence got to be too much for the manager, and he ordered the ones who were fighting to leave.

"...Sorry for causing a ruckus," Luffy said, his face bloody and his left eye bruised.

"Eh...you weren't the one who started it," the manager shrugged. "You know, you don't necessarily have to leave."

"Nah," Luffy replied. "I'm full, anyway."

"If you say so," the manager replied. "I do hope you'll come back, at least."

"I probably will," Luffy said as he turned to Blizzard, who looked up at him, guiltily. "Ah, it's okay, Blizzard. I'm not mad at you, you know."

 _'...You ought to be,'_ thought Blizzard.

"Well, see you later!" Luffy said to the manager as he and Blizzard headed back to Hillary's house. "Thanks for the food!"

 _Flashback end_

"So that's what happened?" asked Chopper as he dabbed some medicine on Luffy's cuts.

"Yeah, pretty much," Luffy answered, although he winced a bit from the medicine stinging his wounds.

"It figures," muttered Hillary. "Every time Blizzard goes into town, it's like everyone turns against him..." She then smiled at Luffy. "Although, I'm glad to hear that a couple of people acted decently towards him...you as well, Captain Luffy. That was very brave what you did, standing up for Blizzard like that."

"Bravery doesn't have anything to do with it," Luffy said as Chopper put an adhesive bandage on his cheek. "I only kicked their asses because they were messing with my friend. That's all."

"...I see," said Hillary with a soft smile. "Still...thank you, Captain Luffy."

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed. "No problem!"

"That's our Luffy for you," Nami said.

"This isn't the first time he's actually stood up for some dog he just met," said Zoro. "I guess he just has a soft spot for animals since he practically is one."

As the group continued to joke around, Blizzard stood in the doorway, looking at Luffy in worry.

 _'...He really is different from most humans,'_ he thought as he continued to watch Luffy. _'He's almost like...'_

At that moment, an image of a pale-skinned man with bleached white hair appeared in the wolf-dog's head, causing Blizzard to gasp momentarily before he smiled a bit, but then he turned and walked away.

XXX

The following day, the Straw Hats were off in town, getting the supplies they needed for the _Sunny_ before the eight days were up. Sanji went off to get groceries for the ship and Nami joined him to get some map paper, while Robin went off to the bookstore. As for Zoro, he went with Usopp and Franky to get carpenter supplies in order to fix any damage that was done to the ship. Thus, Luffy and Chopper were the only ones who were left at the mansion, and needless to say, they were rather bored, so they decided to go and see what Blizzard might have been up to.

However, when they went to go and check on him, they found that he was not in his usual spot on the front doorstep.

"That's weird," Luffy said. "I wonder where he went off to."

"Maybe he just went off to do his business," Chopper said.

"Oh, dear, is Blizzard gone, again?"

Luffy and Chopper turned to see Hillary as she stepped out the door, holding a bowl of water.

"I was gonna set this out for him so he wouldn't be thirsty," she said. "I hope he's all right."

"You said 'again'," Luffy pointed out. "Does that mean Blizzard's gone off on his own before?"

"Well, sometimes, he'll go wandering off someplace," said Hillary. "He doesn't stay gone for too long, though."

"Where do you think he might have gone?" asked Chopper.

"Well, I have a hunch," said Hillary before she turned and pointed at the mountains, far beyond the town. "I think Blizzard might have gone up to the forest in the mountains. Before they were pirates together, Robby and Blizzard would often take hikes there and sometimes they'd be gone for hours on end."

"Really?" asked Chopper.

"I don't know what Blizzard does when he goes there," Hillary began, "but...if it's not too much to ask, could you maybe go and follow him for me?"

"Sure!" Luffy grinned. "Sounds like an adventure! Shishishishishi!"

"Thank you, Captain Luffy," Hillary smiled.

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

Next time on One Piece: The Rivet Island Arc

Luffy and Chopper: *are sneaking behind Blizzard as he walks up the mountain path*

Chopper: *whispers* Where do you think he's going?

Luffy: *whispers* I dunno. Maybe it's somewhere cool!

Blizzard: *looks back to see if he's being followed*

*As Luffy and Chopper follow Blizzard, he seems to vanish through some ivy*

Chopper: Huh? Where'd he go?

Luffy: ...Wait a minute. *parts the ivy, revealing a hidden tunnel* Whoa! Check it out!

Chopper: Eh?! No way!

Luffy: Come on, Chopper! Let's see where it leads!

Next time: **Blizzard's Grotto**

* * *

Yeah, this has been a long time coming. Hopefully it'll be done before I get to this part in The Fire Within.


	5. Blizzard's Grotto

**Ch. 5- Blizzard's Grotto**

* * *

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard © Me

* * *

Blizzard quietly padded through the sun-dappled forest. His pink eyes narrowed as he focused on the path ahead of him. Dead leaves crunched beneath his paws as he walked...and not too far from him, Luffy and Chopper peeked from behind a tree before they glanced at each other and nodded their heads, then proceeded to follow after him.

As Blizzard walked, his ear suddenly twitched at the sound of soft footfalls behind him. He turned around fast, but he found no one there. At least, that's what the wolf-dog thought. What he didn't realize was that Luffy and Chopper had ducked behind a bush just as he turned around, both of them covering their mouths. Blizzard blinked for a moment in perplexity, but ultimately shrugged off his suspicions and continued walking, causing Luffy and Chopper to heave quiet sighs of relief before they both poked their heads out.

"Where do you think he's going?" Chopper whispered.

"I dunno," Luffy whispered back. "Must be somewhere cool if he's this far out."

With that, they proceeded to follow the wolf-dog, who seem to remain completely unaware of their presence.

"How much further do you think he'll keep walking?" Luffy asked. "I'm starting to get hungry."

"What else is new?" Chopper muttered under his breath as he walked alongside his captain.

As they rounded a bend, Luffy and Chopper gasped upon seeing that Blizzard had somehow vanished. The only thing they saw in front of them was a cliff face, and it was covered with long ivy.

"What the-?" Luffy questioned. "Where did he go?!"

"He was right in front of us!" Chopper answered as he approached the ivy and felt around, only to feel nothing but stone. Luffy stood beside him and felt through the ivy, as well, but still found nothing.

"I don't get it," Luffy said. "How could he just disappear like that?"

"Hmm..." Chopper hummed as he leaned against the cliff face...but then, out of nowhere, he gasped as he suddenly fell backward, disappearing behind the ivy.

"Chopper?!" Luffy asked as he pulled the ivy away...revealing a hidden tunnel behind it. "Whoa!"

"It's a hidden passageway!" Chopper exclaimed in excitement.

"So cool!" Luffy and Chopper shouted with sparkling eyes.

"Come on! Let's see where it leads!" Luffy said as he entered the tunnel, and Chopper soon followed after him, heading toward the light at the end.

XXX

Blizzard sighed as he sat at the edge of a small pond. His ears twitched at the sound of the tweeting birds up in the branches overhead and the tiny waterfall that fell into the pond. The wind blew softly and gently, carrying it with the slightly salty air of the sea. The wolf-dog smiled, his tail wagging back and forth as he felt a sense of calm.

 _'Ahh...this is much better,'_ he thought. _'Just me and my hidden grotto.'_

He then frowned slightly as he stared at the water...and for a brief moment, he could see the smiling face of a man with pale skin and pale blonde hair.

 _'Master...'_ he thought...but then, his ears twitched as he heard the sound of encroaching footsteps. _'What? Intruders?!'_

Soon, Luffy and Chopper exited from the tunnel, both of them shielding their eyes from the sunlight. The moment they let their eyes adjust, however, they both gasped at the beautiful grotto before them.

"Wow...!" Chopper whispered. "It's a secret grotto!"

"Cool!" Luffy exclaimed. "But...where's Blizzard?"

 **Grrrrr...!**

"What was that?" Chopper asked.

"Might be my tummy," Luffy said as he put his hands on his stomach. "I said I was getting hungry."

"Uh...Luffy?" Chopper asked as his eyes looked nervously at a nearby rock. "I don't think that's your tummy."

Luffy followed Chopper's gaze, only to find Blizzard, growling viciously as he stood on top of the rock, glowering at the two pirates.

"Blizzard!" Luffy exclaimed as the wolf-dog climbed down from the rock and stalked toward him and Chopper, who gulped nervously as he hid behind his captain. Blizzard barked at the two of them with fangs bared and his fur bristling.

"Uh...Chopper?" Luffy asked. "What is he saying?"

"He's asking what we're doing here," Chopper said, "and we better answer fast."

"We only followed you because Hillary asked us to," Luffy said, causing Blizzard to stop growling. "You just up and disappeared and she was worried, so Chopper and I came looking for you."

Blizzard's growling ceased as he blinked at Luffy, who smiled at him.

"So this is where you were, huh?" he asked. "This is a pretty neat place you've got, huh?"

"Yeah, it's beautiful!" Chopper added, causing Blizzard's ears to droop and he backed away, which Luffy and Chopper quickly took notice. "What? What'd I say?"

Blizzard sighed before he turned and sat down in front of the pond, again, causing Luffy and Chopper to glance at each other before they approached him and sat down beside him.

"What's wrong with you, Blizzard?" Luffy asked.

Blizzard only kept staring at the water while Chopper came and sat by him, staring at the pond's surface with him before Blizzard started to make little growls and whines.

"Your...special place?" Chopper repeated.

"What do you mean?" Luffy asked.

"He says that this is where he and his master would come and play together," said Chopper. "It was their own little grotto."

"...Oh," Luffy muttered in realization before he looked at Blizzard. "The mayor says you come here after you have a bad day...was...was yesterday a bad day for you?"

Blizzard glanced at Luffy before he smiled and started to bark.

"He says 'No, actually,'" Chopper translated. "'You were the first person in a long time to actually treat me nicely.'"

"Really?" Luffy asked. "Then...why'd you come here?"

Blizzard heaved a sigh as he looked at the water.

"He says 'It's because you reminded me of him,'" Chopper translated, again. "Blizzard...when you say 'him', do you mean your master?"

Blizzard nodded his head as he looked up at the sky, where he saw a flock of seagulls fly by.

 _Flashback_

The sky was filled with dark clouds that poured unrelenting rain. Thunder rumbled in the heavens and lightning split the clouds, momentarily sending light throughout the empty streets. Inside an alley, shaking from both the cold wind and the fright of hearing the thunder...there was a tiny puppy, hiding under a wooden box in an attempt to find shelter from the rain. Unfortunately, the box was cracked in some places and proved not to be as dry as the pup had wished.

His ashen fur was now smudged with rainwater and grime. His pink eyes, wide and scared. His tiny body shivered, his body temperature falling due to being cold and wet.

He didn't know what happened. One day, he remembered being placed in a cardboard box with all his brothers and sisters. Their mother, Delilah, sat nearby, watching proudly as she waited for her puppies to be adopted by many different people for just 2,000 Berries each. All of them got to go to new homes...except for him.

Why? Why did no one want him? He was cute, wasn't he? Sure, he was smaller than all the others, but he was also the oldest out of his litter. Why wasn't he picked first? Why didn't he go to a new home? Why did his mother's owner drop him off here, all alone?

Why couldn't he stay on the farm with his mother, instead? At least then, he wouldn't be all alone.

It wasn't fair. Why did it he get the short end of the stick out of all his siblings?

"Oh, my goodness! Robby, over here! Look at this!"

The puppy looked up, and imagine his surprise: a man and woman, standing side-by-side. The woman had short, blonde hair and a mauve blouse, as well as a ten-gallon hat and blue trousers. Standing beside her was a man with pale skin and platinum blonde hair, as well as blue eyes. He had on a dark red shirt and a pair of white pants with black boots, and he was holding an umbrella over his head. The man had a rather scruffy mustache, too.

"What's this little guy doing all alone out here?" asked the albino man as he kneeled down and held his hand out to the puppy, who sniffed his fingers before licking them lightly. "Aww, you poor puppy."

The man gently took the puppy into his arms while the woman wrapped up him in a thick, warm cloth.

"The poor thing," she said.

"Hillary, we gotta get this little guy outta the rain," said Robby. "He could freeze to death!"

"I agree," Hillary nodded. "Let's get him somewhere safe."

"You're coming with us, little guy," said Robby, giving the pup a reassuring smile...and that made the puppy's tail begin to wag. "You're pretty fierce-looking for a little thing, I'll give you that much. A pup like you, able to survive way out here in the middle of a typhoon? That takes guts."

"Absolutely," Hillary smiled as she gently stroked the pup's head. "What do you think we should call him?"

"...Blizzard," Robby answered.

 _Flashback end_

Blizzard smiled, wagging his tail at the fond memory while Luffy and Chopper sat nearby, the latter having explained to the former what the wolf-dog recalled.

"So that's how Robby found you?" asked Luffy, prompting Blizzard to nod his head. "Wow...he really liked you, huh?"

Blizzard nodded his head and gave a few barks.

"He said that he liked him, too," Chopper said.

"What was it like, being with him?" Luffy inquired, causing Blizzard to look at the sky, once more...and this time, he could hear the sounds of laughter and happy barking.

 _Flashback_

Robby laughed as he and Blizzard ran up the mountain trail, the latter barking as he chased after his master, playfully nipping at his heels. Blizzard was a little bit bigger in size, now. Not quite as big as his present-day self, but he was getting there.

"Come on, boy!" Robby called while Blizzard barked, running after him as fast as his legs could take him. "Hahahaha! That's it! You're getting faster every day, aren't you?"

Blizzard barked happily as he continued to chase after Robby. They raced through the forest together, jumping over rocks and shrubs until finally pushing through a wall of ivy, and as Blizzard playfully tackled his master, they soon came tumbling out the other side, revealing themselves in the same grotto. Blizzard barked as he licked Robby's face, causing him to laugh at the ticklish feeling of the puppy's tongue lapping against his cheek.

"Okay, okay!" he exclaimed. "You got me!"

Blizzard barked, once again, his tail wagging so fast that it almost seemed invisible. Soon, the two sat down together before the pond with Blizzard sitting in Robby's lap. They could hear the sound of the babbling waterfall and they could smell the scent of the sea on the wind. Robby sighed, a feeling of tranquility washing over him as he gently stroked Blizzard's head.

"Isn't this great, Blizzard?" asked Robby. "Just you, me, and our secret place..."

Blizzard sighed as he curled up on Robby's lap, prompting him to chuckle.

"You know what I really love about this place, Blizzard?" he asked, causing the puppy to tilt his head in curiosity. "I'll show you."

Soon, Robby got up and walked around to the other side of the pond and parted some bushes away...revealing a clear view of the vast, blue, sparkling sea, causing Blizzard to gape in awe at its brilliance.

"Such a beautiful view, isn't it?" asked Robby. "The Grand Line is a beautiful and mysterious place, it is...and somewhere on the very end of it lies the greatest treasure in the world: the One Piece."

Blizzard blinked up at Robby, who grinned at him.

"I know what you're thinking," he said. "What if you and I went out to look for that treasure, huh?" He then gave a light chuckle. "We could do it...we could go out on the sea, together...gather up all our friends, get on board a ship, and sail to the very end of the Grand Line! We'll be pirates, Blizzard, sailing the seas in search of freedom and riches!"

Blizzard barked excitedly at that.

"Haha!" Robby laughed. "I thought so...we'll get started on that, first thing tomorrow."

Blizzard barked again before he began to lick Robby's face again, causing him to laugh.

 _Flashback end_

"...Wow...!" Luffy whispered in awe.

"Your master really was amazing, huh, Blizzard?" asked Chopper, prompting Blizzard to nod his head and wipe his eyes.

"Hey!" Luffy exclaimed. "That view of the sea...can we see it?!"

Blizzard blinked at Luffy in surprise...but then he smiled before he got up and walked around to the other side of the pond, then pulled the bushes back, just as Robby had done...revealing a grand view of the sea.

"Wow...!" Luffy and Chopper whispered in amazement, their eyes sparkling just like the water as the sun reflected off its surface.

"It really is pretty!" Chopper added. "No wonder you and Robby always came here!"

Blizzard smiled as he wagged his tail, feelings of nostalgia welling up inside of him...and then, all of a sudden, he felt a gentle hand on his head, causing him to look up and see Luffy, smiling down at him as he pet his head.

"I can see why you love this place, so much," said Luffy. "Don't worry...we won't tell anybody else."

Blizzard blinked at the Straw Hat Captain, who gave him a big, toothy grin. Blizzard was so enraptured by that smile...that he didn't even notice his tail was wagging.

XXX

"Oh, you're back!" Hillary exclaimed as Luffy, Chopper, and Blizzard approached the mansion. "And I see you found Blizzard, too! Thank you both."

"No problem, Hillary!" Chopper replied.

"So, where'd you guys go off to?" Hillary asked, prompting Blizzard to look up at Luffy.

"Ah, you know...nowhere special," Luffy shrugged.

"...I see," Hillary smiled while Blizzard walked up to her and jumped up on his hind legs, causing her to laugh as she kissed his nose. "At least you're safe, Blizzard."

Blizzard nodded his head before he walked up to his usual spot and sat down while Luffy and Chopper headed inside.

"Hey, Sanji!" Luffy called. "Is lunch ready?"

"Yeah, we're hungry!" Chopper added.

Hillary blinked before she looked over at Blizzard, who stared out toward the ocean.

 _'I don't know how...but Blizzard seems...different,'_ she thought before she smiled warmly. _'But that's not so bad.'_

* * *

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

Next time on One Piece: The Rivet Island Arc!

Nami: So you're saying Blizzard's gotten more sociable?

Hillary: Yes. This is the happiest I've seen him in such a long time!

Usopp: Well, that's Luffy for you. He has a way of changing you for the better.

Hillary: I'll keep that in mind.

Luffy: Hey, Zoro. You know what I think?

Zoro: No. Don't tell me...you want Blizzard to join the crew, don't you?

Luffy: Yeah! How'd you know?

Next time: **Luffy's Offer**

* * *

Yeah, I know it took a long time for me to update this one, but at least I haven't abandoned it.

Review, please!


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